Chapter 73
Angel and Darcy stared as Cordelia closed the trap door to the school’s basement. Darcy let out a plaintive meow.
“I know, I don’t like either.” Angel resisted the urge to go after her and drag her back to the mansion.
“She’ll be back.” Angel still stood at the door, acknowledging as Darcy whined again, that he was feeling as abandoned as the cat, except that he was also angry and getting a headache
“Come on.” Angel swiftly turned and headed back to the mansion. “Shh, she can’t hear you,” he coaxed the crying kitten to be quiet.
***
Angel’s head was on fire. Darcy’s high-pitch whines were piercing his eardrums like razor-sharp pins. “Please.” He begged. “Don’t make me kill you.”
Darcy was silent for a moment and blinked his gold rimmed- eyes up at Angel. They stared at each other for a second and then Darcy let out a loud wail.
Angel pulled the kitten up to his face. “I said be quiet.” Angel growled, feeling his eyes go hot.
Darcy’s ears flattened back against his head as he spat and growled. “Crap.” Angel immediately reverted back to his human face but it was too late. Darcy had squirmed out of his arms and disappeared in the sewer.
Angel stood motionless. His only thought was that even if Cordelia didn’t kill him, she definitely wouldn’t ever sleep with him again.
That unacceptable thought forced his voice drop to a cajoling tone. “Darcy, come back. I won’t hurt you I promise. Darcy.”
He listened, but didn’t hear a mew in response. He concentrated harder, searching for a tiny heartbeat and Darcy’s scent. “Darcy,” he called.
He stilled as he heard the fall of debris on the sewer floor. He looked up, his eyes narrowing on the small form tucked in a break in the wall. “Come here, Darcy.” He beckoned to the cringing kitten. “You can’t like it up there. I promise, I won’t hurt you.” He slowly reached out his hand, stopping, when Darcy backed further into the wall.
“If you stay here, you won’t see Cordy again,” Angel said with a sinking feeling in his gut. He wasn’t confident that Cordy would easily accept the loss of Darcy. He sighed. Getting Cordelia a cat had seemed like such a good plan at the time.
“Come on, please.” He moved closer, this time purposely making noise, as his senses fixated on the kitten.
Darcy jumped, but Angel moved quicker. He rolled on the floor clutching Darcy safely to his chest.
Angel sat up. “Shh,” he murmured into fur of the shaking kitten. “I won’t hurt you. It’s just me, Angel. You know me.” Angel’s fingers continuously rubbed at Darcy, trying to sooth the agitated kitten.
Darcy began to calm.
“That’s right.” Angel shoulders dropped in relief. Darcy had stopped shaking, but Angel kept petting him to ensure his compliance. “Good kitty,” Angel encouraged him. Angel smiled as Darcy started to purr.
“Okay, now I want you to see something.” Angel brought Darcy up to face. “It’s okay,” Angel said in the same soothing voice he had been using. “I just sometimes have eyes like you.”
Darcy stopped purring and watched Angel intently. “And I can do this.” Angel growled low in his chest, the ridges along his forehead became more pronounced. “But, it’s still me.” He scratched at Darcy’s head.
Angel was pleased to see that Darcy’s big ears had remained straight. “That’s right. It’s okay.” Darcy reached out a tentative paw and tapped Angel’s nose.
“Oh you want to play?” Angel smiled, running his fingers over the kitten, turning him on his back to tickle his stomach.
“Friends, again?” Angel asked, hugging the kitten back into his chest. “We don’t have to tell Cordy about this, do we?”
Chapter 74
“Hold on.” Angel cradled Darcy closer and made a dash to the shade of the atrium. “We’re home.” Angel couldn’t help another sigh of relief. While Darcy hadn’t gotten upset again, Angel’s headache along with his tension had been building all the way through the tunnels.
Angel paused and Darcy’s ears perked up. “I hear it, too.”
He moved silently towards the noise coming from inside the mansion. “Demon,” he told the cat as if Darcy asked.
“What the … ” Angel stopped in the doorway of the living room. A green ass was bopping in the air in the middle of his living room.
Angel strode over and grabbed the owner by the arm.
“Oh hey!” The green spiny demon yanked the Walkman off and stood. Angel eyed the demon as he nervously tugged at his tool belt.
“Hi, I’m Larry.” The demon dropped his hand as Angel remained motionless and eyed him.
“Erik sent me, said it would be okay to just come on in.” Larry coughed. “You’re supposed to be expecting me.”
Angel stopped listening at the mention of Erik and turned his attention to the gleaming new TV beside the demon. He frowned at the size. When did TVs get so big? “What are you doing?”
“You want cable right?” The demon pulled out a clipboard. “It says cable,” he pointed to the paper.
Angel shrugged. “Just get it done. Where’s Erik?”
“Had to work. Oh, here’s your change. I took my fee out of it.” The demon backed away. “Erik said it was okay.” Larry stepped further back. “Hey, I don’t cheat guys with fangs. Bad for my health.” He shoved a bundle of cash towards Angel. “Hey cute kitty. Lunch?” He coughed again, trying for a smile.
“Just get it done and get out of here.”
Angel slumped on the sofa but got immediately to his feet when he realized that he had a perfect view of Larry’s ass.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he whispered to Darcy.
Darcy’s answering meow erupted into a hiss as a drill sounded throughout the room. “Ow.” Angel shook his hand. Darcy had used all of his claws to push off from Angel’s grip. “Darcy,” Angel called out over the drill to the escaping cat.
“Would you stop that?” Angel smacked the side of the demon’s head.
“Wha…” The demon looked up. “Almost done.” He turned on the drill again to finish the small hole in the wall. “After this. I just got to do the connection and then I’ll be gone.”
Angel rubbed harshly at his face and then sighed. “Darcy.” He shook his head as his eyes wandered around the room hoping to see him.
He closed his eyes, but instead of a small heartbeat, he heard off-tune humming. “Would you shut up?” Angel growled at the demon.
“Geez-Louise. Fine. I’m done.” The demon shook his head as he gathered his tools. “Erik warned me that you were a hard case.”
Angel waited until the door was closed before he concentrated on sensing Darcy. He moved to the weapons cabinet and peered behind it. Two wide black eyes rimmed with gold looked up at him.
“How did you fit behind there?” Angel shook his head at the small kitten and the even smaller space that he was positioned in. He pulled the weapons cabinet from the wall. “Darcy,” he said softly and then yelled as the kitten took off for the stairs. Angel reached out to catch him but Darcy dodged his questing hand and tumbled through the banister tines onto the floor.
“Crap.” Angel ran down the stairs, but Darcy was already up on his feet and scrambling back behind the weapon’s cabinet.
Angel leaned down on the floor. “Darcy, come on, the noisy demon left. Please.” Angel lay straight out, his hand reaching towards the two gold eyes.
Angel knocked his forehead on the floor. “Please,” he begged. He stilled. Darcy was inching out. “That’s it,” he whispered. Angel willed the kitten closer as he kept his body motionless.
Darcy’s head reached out and sniffed at Angel.
“It’s me.” Angel slowly brought his hand up to clutch him.
Angel sat up, sitting cross-legged, and pulled Darcy on his lap. Angel had a moment of relief before Darcy started crying. “No, no, no.” He whispered. “Hey.” Angel switched into his vampire guise. “We can play.” Darcy ignored the change and continued to whine.
“No.” Angel rubbed at his temple.
Chapter 75
Cordelia skimmed through her history book. It was useless. She couldn’t focus on the words. She looked up at the other students in the study hall. They were either studying or gossiping. She tuned out the voices of Harmony and Aura. Their bitchy debate as to whether more cute college guys came to the Starbucks or the Burger Heaven had lost its appeal early on.
All she could think about was how she woke up that morning, or rather where she woke up. It was the second time she woke up with Angel’s arms around her. And it had felt wonderful. So much so that it was scary.
She rubbed her lips, remembering the feel of his finger shushing her. What would his lips have felt like? She reluctantly dropped her hand. She couldn’t think like that.
Just then, her purse vibrated against her leg. Cordelia reached for her buzzing phone.
“Cordy.”
“Angel?” Cordelia hurried to the corner of the room and shot a look around to see if any was listening.
“You have to come home now.”
Cordelia frowned at the phone. Angel almost sounded panicky. “Is that Darcy?” she asked hearing a high whine in the background.
“Ah – yeah.”
“Angel?” Cordelia stared at the phone as if it could give her the meaning behind Angel’s sarcasm or the following silence. She brought the phone back to her ear as Darcy’s cries echoed through the phone. “Angel, take the phone away from Darcy and talk to me,” she whispered harshly.
“He’s been doing that since you left.”
“All the time?”
“Except when he was howling.”
“Have you picked him up?” Cordelia didn’t bother to stop the rolling of her eyes.
“Don’t even.”
Cordelia involuntary took a step back. Angel had obviously heard the bite in her tone and he wasn’t amused. Her thought was verified by his sharp answer.
“I haven’t let him down. I pet him. I play with him. But he keeps crying. He wants you home.”
“I can’t just keep leaving school.” Cordelia straightened. He couldn’t order her around. But still, Cordelia frowned as she heard Darcy whining in the background. Maybe she *should* go.
“Cordelia, that story about the n.a.i.l.i.n.g. wasn’t just a story.”
Cordelia gasped. “You’re losing it and if you touch Darcy in any other way than nice – you’re dust.”
“Then you’d better come home.”
“How? Walk?”
“The sewers.”
“Alone? No way.” Cordelia shook her head as if Angel could see her opinion on that suggestion.
“Be in the basement in ten minutes.” Angel declared.
Cordelia stared at the phone. He’d ordered her around AND hung up on her. So wrong, she grumbled as she went to pick up her books and think of another excuse to leave school early.
***
Cordelia waved over her shoulder at the school nurse. “Thanks, bye,” she said, as she hurried out of infirmary.
“Great,” she muttered. She crumbled the white piece of paper the nurse had given her. The cramp excuse was no longer an option, not unless she wanted the nurse to personally escort her to a gynecologist.
“Where are you off to, young lady?”
Cordelia jerked to a stop. “It’s your business, how?” She eyed the large security guard standing before her.
“Perhaps you should come with me.”
“Hey.” Cordelia narrowed her eyes at the beefy hand that clutched her arm. “Let me go. I’ve been excused.”
“Well, I’ll walk you to your car, then.”
“That’s okay.” Cordelia tugged at her arm.
“What’s happening here?”
Cordelia looked up to see Principal Snyder. She had never been so happy to see the troll. The security guard gave her the creeps. “Miss Chase, why are you out of class?”
“I’ve been excused by Nurse Creighton.” With a hard tug, she freed herself from the security guard. “And this Steven Segal wannabe grabbed me. I have a note.” She shoved the crumpled paper at the principal.
She rubbed her abused arm as Snyder dissected the note. Finally, he looked up at her. “On your way then.” Cordelia cut short her sigh and took off. She smiled as Snyder started lecturing the security guard on the proper behavior of school employees.
***
“You can stop now,” Angel told the crying kitten as he yanked open the trap door. “Here.” Angel held the cat out before Cordelia had a chance to cross the threshold.
She ignored his outstretched hands and the kitten. “Big baby.” She fisted her hands on her hips.
“Cordelia,” Angel said slowly with a hard glare.
She rolled her eyes and took Darcy. “Oh sweetie, what are we going to do with you?” She said, nuzzling the now-purring kitten.
Angel was tempted to suggest the nailing thing again. But, now that Cordelia was next to him, and with Darcy finally quiet, his headache had miraculously disappeared.
He turned his attention to Cordelia. The kitten was curled up under her neck. She was scolding him in light murmurs. Right. Darcy would definitely get that he was a ‘bad kitty’ when she said it like that.
Angel frowned as he noticed that the she was rubbing at her arm. He stepped closer and reached out to move her hand away. “What happened?” he asked sharply as he brushed his thumb over the red marks on her skin.
“Hmm.” Cordelia looked up at Angel and then at her arm. “Oh, nothing. Just a Neanderthal-type security guard.”
“He hurt you.” Angel didn’t even bother to tame his growl.
“No.” Cordelia shook her head and shrugged it off. “Come on.” She took Angel’s hand in hers. “Let’s go home.”
Angel wanted to ask more about the security guard. Or just go back into the school and pummel the guard for touching her. But, he looked down to where their hands met. She was holding his hand and she’d said, ‘Let’s go home’. Pummeling could wait.
Chapter 78
Barney stood motionless and waited for the principal to stop lecturing him. He wasn’t listening, though. Every time a word came out of the man’s mouth, Barney heard the snap of his neck being broken.
Finally, Snyder stopped with a firm nod. Barney’s narrowed eyes watched as he retreated to his office. If he lost Cordelia the annoying man would pay.
After a few minutes of fruitless searching, Barney slammed his fist into the wall. Cordelia was not in the locker room or anywhere else. He stared at the exit door off to the side of the gym. He’d lost her.
He rubbed his gun and thought seriously about finding Snyder and blowing the back of his head off. He took a deep breath. His patience was reaching its limits but he could wait until tomorrow.
***
Angel looked down at his abandoned hand and then frowned up at Darcy. Cordy had unceremoniously dropped it to hug the kitten. His annoyance at Darcy was back.
“Angel, you can’t still be mad at him.” She cupped Darcy and brought him up to Angel’s face. His eyes flickered from the kitten to her. Cordelia’s expression labeled him the biggest ass if he had the nerve to say yes.
“No,” Angel sighed, petting Darcy’s head. He was rewarded with a smile from Cordy and a purr from Darcy.
Angel’s hand followed the kitten back to Cordy’s chest. He gingerly brought his other arm around her shoulders nudging her closer. “What?” he said at her questioning look. “You’re not the only one that gets to pet him.” His eyes returned to the kitten as he continued to stroke Darcy but his other senses concentrated on Cordy walking next to him.
***
“Wha – the – Oh, my God.” Angel took Darcy in his arms as Cordelia suddenly forgot the kitten’s presence. “What’s that?” She pointed to the TV. As soon as she said it, she realized the stupidity of her question. Of course it was a TV. A really nice TV; a really big TV. But what the hell was it doing in the middle of the living room? “Angel?” Her raised brows ordered him to explain.
“It was on Miss Twittle’s list.” He shrugged.
Cordelia’s mind was spinning. Making Miss Twittle happy was make-believe. Yet there was honest-to-God TV sitting there. She felt a burst of guilt that Angel took her lie to the extreme. “You shouldn’t have.” She shook her head.
Angel shrugged. “Buying one seemed a lot easier than explaining to Miss Twittle why I hadn’t.”
The guilt overwhelmed her. “I’m sorry for all the trouble that I caused you,” she said softly.
Angel moved closer and cupped her cheek. “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he whispered against her cheek.
Cordelia cringed. Should she lean into Angel or should she go running? Her mind would’ve still debated the question except that Darcy gave her another option. She blinked as the kitten nudged her chin.
“What?” Darcy jumped down and scrambled to his bowl in the kitchen. “Did you feed him?” All questions or thoughts about her attraction to Angel disappeared.
“Yes, he’s fine.”
Cordelia squirmed away from his embrace. “I don’t think so. You said he was crying. We should call Miss Twittle.”
“Miss Twittle?”
Cordelia nodded, ignoring Angel’s confused expression. Honestly, she was happy to see him less than unflappable. It gave her a weird sort of confidence. “Yeah, she’s our cat expert.”
“We don’t –”
Cordelia hmmphed in satisfaction as Angel stopped his words at her hand up in his face.